Professors back Mansfield Town CEO Carolyn Radford on Premier League criticism

John Lomas

Mansfield Town chief executive officer Carolyn Radford’s criticism of the Premier League structure has been backed by two leading professors.

In an interview with Touchline TV, Radford hit out at the current Premier League set-up and the way it affects the rest of football.

She slammed the domination of the top league by the same half-dozen sides year after year, their reluctance to use young English players and the fact that big name players are not distributed at clubs throughout the division like they used to be.

In an article in the Independent, her views were backed by Stephen Wagg, a Professor in Sport and Society at Leeds Beckett University, and she has also had support from Dr Mike Huggins, Emeritus Professor of Cultural History.

Independent writer Glenn Moore supported the gist of Carolyn’s argument in his article and praised the contribution both John and Carolyn Radford have made during their Mansfield Town tenure, returning the club to the Football League and buying back the ground.

Dr Wagg agreed: “In my view the Premier League isn’t really a competition at all. It’s a global television spectacular and a showcase for the six brands Carolyn Radford mention.

“This position has been further strengthened by the so-called financial fair play regulation, which prevents the Abramovich-style endowment being repeated anywhere else.”

Dr Huggin added: “Increasingly people are asking what can be done? Solutions are few.

“The best solution would be the introduction of some form of quota systems for squads, as has been successful in America.

“We could limit the number of experienced foreign internationals per club. Or demand that over the course of a season clubs had to play perhaps four or five English or British players for a specified proportion of playing time.

“But money talks, and it talks most loudly at the top of the Premier League. There are various scenarios possible then.

“For example, if the FA tried to impose this, the top clubs might walk, and there has been talk of a European league. Or they might refuse, and force the FA to into a position of having to respond and decide on possible actions.”

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